Toys capable of being configured in a plurality of appearances have enjoyed great popularity through the years. To make use of this popularity, practitioners in the toy arts have provided a great variety of multiple appearance or multiple configuration toys for the consumer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,924 issued to Manger sets forth a TOY KIT WITH STUFFED ANIMAL-LIKE FIGURE HAVING CHANGEABLE APPEARANCE in which a padded animal is formed having an outer skin comprising the loop fabric of the type generally used in hook and loop fabric fasteners. A plurality of accessories having various appearance configurations include areas having the corresponding hook fabric of the type producing a hook and loop attachment to the stuffed animal. The appearance figures include a broad range of elements such as ears, eyes, nose, tail and so on.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,446 issued to Packer sets forth a TOY FIGURE formed of a resilient molded plastic material or the like. The molded plastic material may be formed or modeled into a plurality of resilient shapes and figures to change the appearance of the toy figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,240 issued to Thomas sets forth a HAND PUPPET WITH DETACHABLE FACIAL ELEMENTS having a relatively rigid head portion and a plurality of facial components which may be attached to the head portion. The head portion supports an attachment fabric such as either a conventional hook or conventional loop fabric of the type used to form hook and loop fabric attachments. The attachable facial elements include areas having the corresponding or cooperating attachment fabrics whereby the facial elements may be removably secured to the head of the puppet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,001 issued to Kopian sets forth a SOFT LATEX FIGURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME in which a soft latex figure is formed by sculpting clay appendages, making a plaster casting of the appendages, slush molding a colored pre-vulcanized latex replica of the appendage in a plaster mold, wrapping a form or base structure representing the torso with batting, and securing the molded latex appendages in position on the form. The figure is completed using strips of paper toweling saturated with colored pre-vulcanized latex applied to the form.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,647 issued to Renger, et al. sets forth an ACTIVITY TOY FOR FORMING AND DISSOLVING A TOY FIGURE in which a plastic skeleton is configured to receive and support a quantity of sodium bicarbonate powder in a sculpting activity enclosing the skeleton. A vat of dilute citric acid is included with the activity toy. In the anticipated play pattern, the sodium bicarbonate material sculpted toy figure is immersed into the diluted citric acid producing a chemical reaction which removes the sculpted bicarbonate material in a dramatic effect and reveals portions of the underlying skeleton.
While the foregoing described changeable appearance toys have enjoyed some success in the marketplace and provided some measure of amusement and entertainment value, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore improved and interesting toy products having changeable or multiple appearances.